Friction draft gear



I original Filed Jan. 29, 195o N MN N @NNN ww. QN NNN i Nw. Nw

nw @w ww ww i, Si QN Y @N w mh mm n N@ Nm. Nm NN Nm R R S/w i@ @i NN Q N \i i1 w k i 7 ww /7 w x Si nw m nh /Mi INN Q W Vi/ n h m/ Il. l ,A/ V M .QN mw f QN ///A N EN a w W NIL, QN

Patented Oct. 18, 1932 UNiTED'STATi-:s PATENT oi-Fics ROY R. STEVENS, OF'FOREST HILLS, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO CARDWELL WEST- v INGHOUSE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE -marcaron DRAFT GEAR Original appiication'led January 29, 1930, Serial No. 424,202. Divided and this application led October 8,

The invention relates to friction dralt gears foi' rail vay cai and this apLiicat-ien is a division of my pending application Serial No.42e1,202, filed January 1930.for iinproveniente in friction draft gears.

rl`he object of 'the invention is to provide improved means for resisting they, lighterA shocks incident to service by cushioning l, springs, fricticnal resistance being brought big. L is a sectional view on tiie line 2 2 of F ig. 1; and j Fig. 3 is a detail section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

A pair of center sills a railway car are represented at 16, eachrbeingprovided with a draft lug 11 and a buiiing lug 12, according to usual practice. nilie coupler butt is indicated at 13, and the usual yohe for inclosing the zit-'1st, il plate follower 15 engages the draft lugs 11, and a chambered follower 16 engages the buiiing lugs 12. The

cushioning mechanism reacts between the follower 15 and the rear end of the follower 16.

The mechanism for cushioning the lighter shocks comprises a thrust element 17, seated against the follower 15; a spring seat 18,

seated against the inner end of the thrust element, and springs 19, 19, reacting between the spring plate and the rear end of the follower 16. The side walls of the follower 16 may be omitted, as indicated, except at their `forward ends, for convenience in assembling.

The friction mechanism for resisting the heavier shocks comprises a central element 20, which may be properly characterized as a strut, and, as sli-own, is an integral oblong rectangular casting having at its top and bottoni ends lugs 21 for fitting within transverse channels 22 in the top and bottom walls of the follower 16, whereby the strut is anchored against longitudinal movement. Thile the strut is shown as an integral casting, it may, if desired, be vertically and longi- Serial No. 567,578.

the strut 22 and the side walls of thefollowery 16, and frictionally cooperating with each. These wedging elements comprise the slices 23, which frictionally engage the strut 2O and havewedging faces cooperating with complementary faces on the shoes 24, which frictionally engage the side wallsof the follower 16, or, as shown, wear plates 25 seated thereagainst.' A springy seat 26 bears against the inner ends of the shoes 23,v and a pair of springs 27 react between this spring seat and the rear end of the follower 16,the spring seat 18 being apertured, as indicated at 28, to permit their free passage.

The shoes 24; are provided with lateral lugs 29 at their inner ends, for overlapping rearwardly facing shoulders associated with rthe side walls of the follower 16, these shoulders, in the disclosed embodiment of the invention, being the rear ends of the wear plates 25. The forward ends of the shoes 24 are spaced normally from the follower 15, and froml lateralextensions 30 at the outer end of the thrust element 17, and consequently the friction elements are not brought into action until the follower 15, and with it the thrust element` 17, have advanced a substantial distance, be.- ng resisted only by the springs 19.

The inner faces of the side walls of the follower 16, or of the wear plates 25 when the latter are used, flare slightly toward the open end of the follower. The plates 25 are provided at their top and bottom margins with lugs 31 for fitting within thechannels 22, and thus anchoring the plates against longitudinal movement. A retaining pin 32 is set vertically through the follower 16, the top and bottom 'walls thereof being apertured for its reception, this pin passing through a longitudinal slot 33m 'the stem or shank of the thrust ele-V ment 17. The length of this slot is sufficient to provide for maximum movement of the thrust element, and its rearward end, coming lil into engagement with the pin 82 upon full release of 'the gear, p"events the witndrawal of the thrust element.

In assembling the gear the several springs and both of the spring plates are iirst inseued, and the springs are put ander preliminary compression and held by a suitable bar which may be thrust through 'the openings in the side walls of the follorer and engages the front face of the seat The wear plates are now inserted, being tilted laterally until their lugs 31 register with the channels 22. The strut element 2O is novY nilarly introduced, and to facilitate this action two of its diagonally opposite corners, as 34, may be somewhat rounded. rllhe shoes 23, 24;, are now inserted and properly positioned, as is also the thrust element, the pin 32 being now introduced for retaining th The springs are now rel. l their initial compression and the gear is ready for service and is held in assembly for shipment.

In action the springs 1Q are first compressed by the relative approach of the two followers.

Should the compressive action be sufiicient to y cause the engagement of the lateral extensions of the thrust element and of 'the follower 15 vith the shoes Ql, both sets of shoes are advanced into the' followerA 10 against the resistance of the springs 27 and the friction, augmented by the wedging engagement of the shoes, between the shoes 28 'and the side Walls of the strut 20, and the slices 2% and the side walls of the follower 1G, or the wear plates 25. The inward inclination of these side walls or wear plates causes a laterali ward move nent of the shoes Q-, and consequent accelerated advance of the shoes 28.

Upon release the expansion of the springs 19 promptly separates the two followers, the seat 1S being brought into Contact with the seat 26 and the springs 19 supplementing the action of the springs to cause the outward movement of the shoes until the lugs Q9 are brought into engagement with the shoulders of the follower 16.

l claim as my invention--Y l. A draft gear comprising a chambered follower having an open end, the inner faces of the front portions of its sidewalls being inwardly and backwardly inclined, a thrust eloinent projecting` centrally into the follower, spring means resisting the advance of the thrust element, a central longitudinall;7 apertured strut anchored to the follower against relative longitudinal movement and loosely enclosing the shank of the thrust element, co-

operating wedging elements interposed bef Vance of the wedge elements, and an opposed follower for applying pressure successively to the thrust element and the projecting wedge elements.

2. In adraft gear, a ehambered follower having the front portions of its side walls inwardly and rearwardly inclined, a pair of permanently spaced parallel walls flanking the longitudinal axis of the follower and anchored against longitudinal movement, a thrust element projecting into the open end of the follower and being freely movable between the named parallel walls, spring means resisting the inward movement of the thrust element, cooperating wedge elements located between each 0f the parallel walls and a side wall of the follower and having' frictional engagement with each, a plate follower for applying compressive forces successively to the thrust element and to certain of the wedging elements, and spring means independently resisting the inward movement of the wedge elements.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ROY R. STEVENS. 

